Abstract This research paper explores the creation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) and the role Enron played in its enactment. Specifically, this paper will explore and discuss the Enron crisis, emphasizing the legal and ethical accounting breaches committed by the company. The purpose of SOX and the methods used to address those breaches. A discussion of the major provisions of the act including: (1) Establishment of the Oversight Board commonly referred to as the Public Company Accounting
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their advantage. Rather than taking that position and being responsible and set the proper example some set the wrong example. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act set standards to try to prevent future scandals like Phar Mor Inc., the Waste Management scandal and Enron. Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) was created after several major scandals that shook the world. These scandals made it clear that preventative measures needed to be taken in order to prevent any future scandals. Too many people/companies now believed that they
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Enron: Smartest Guys in the Room Introduction: Enron’s Culture of Greed Enron is considered the most infamous and notorious corporate scandal of the twenty first century, many consider it the worst in the history of the United States (U.S.). The looting of Enron by its executives, the fraud, cover-ups, greed and arrogance precipitated its fall. Shareholders, including many Enron employees, trusting the leadership, filled their 401K portfolios with Enron stock losing
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Week 1 Trevor Castleman Bethel University MOD450 Prof. Huss 1/22/15 Enron 1) It is in no way possible to reconcile Kenneth Lay’s statements in regards to Enron’s values and visions with the actual practices of Enron. Executive from the company used the company profits as personal funds. (p.11) It is impossible for Lay to truly believe that the company was in ethical operation as he was aware that Enron was using monumental amounts of credit to keep the company looking profitable.(P
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On March 5, 2002, the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics convened a panel of four Santa Clara University business ethicists to discuss the Enron scandal. Panelists included Kirk O. Hanson, executive director of the Ethics Center and University Professor of Organizations and Society; Manuel Velasquez, Dirksen Professor of Business Ethics, Department of Management; Dennis Moberg, Wilkinson Professor of Management and Ethics, and Martin Calkins, S.J., assistant professor of management. Edited excerpts
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Kenneth Lay, former chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Enron Corp., claimed to be a moral and ethical leader and exhorted Enron’s officers and employees to be highly ethical in their decisions and actions. In addition, the Enron Code of Ethics specified that “An employee shall not conduct himself or herself in a manner which directly or indirectly would be detrimental to the best interests of the Company or in a manner which would bring to the employee financial gain separately derived
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ENRON SCANDAL Enron was formed in 1985 from merger of two companies; Houston Gas and InterNorth Inc. by Kenneth Lay. It grew to be among the highly innovative companies throughout 1990s. Its unique business strategy made it known. Initially, the company’s objective was to sell electricity and gas but by 1990s it had ventured into other businesses such as pulp and paper companies and communications . Its success was indicated by the rise in annual revenues; between 1995 and 2000 Enron recorded
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Enron was a well established company registered in the United States of America which was ranked 7th in the Fortune 500 magazine and arguably the most innovative company in the United States. Hanson (2002), as quoted by Nakayama (2002) argues that the Enron scandal is the most significant corporate collapse and it demonstrated the need for significant reforms in accounting and corporate governance, as well as a close look at the ethical quality of the culture of business generally. There are many
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a corporation that did this was Enron. Enron Corporation was an American energy company that was based in Houston, Texas. It was one of the world’s leaders in electricity, natural gas, pulp and paper, and communications. Enron reported financial conditions were sustained by systematic and planned accounting fraud. There were several reports that involved irregular accounting procedures which bordered on fraud. These reports were between Enron and their accounting firm, Arthur
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due to the numerous corporate scandals explosions, Enron Corporation was one of the most notable companies to crash. Basically, in 1990s Enron and numbers of publicly-traded companies increase their stock prices by deceptive and publishing false financial statements. In addition, the directors of Enron waived the corporation’s code of ethics in 1999; this action allowed the CFO at that time to manage an investment partnership trading with Enron for illegal profits. By conducting the overstatement
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